[Moon 12, Morning - Aftdeck, Port-side] GROUP A - Bang Bang

[Moshi Kaimenko]

Kaimenko nods sharply at Satsuki and jerks her head towards the ballista, "Come on up, Suzume-san. You're going to help me demonstrate how to load one of these properly. I want the rest of you knuckleheads to watch and take notes. Questions after."

The woman moves to twitch aside another cloth, revealing neatly racked ammo. Her dark brown eyes shift to the Sparrow, "Show me what you know."

[Suzume Satsuki]

"Yes, Moshi-sama," the tiny woman says obediently. She chooses a heavy dart from the ammunition and works the levers skillfully, making sure she doesn't move too quickly to watch, since it is a demonstration, after all. Still, she's finished quickly and correctly.

"There we go," she says with a smile.

[Moshi Kaimenko]

Kaimenko didn't give any instructions, simply helping the girl place the dart. She watches the procedure with a keen eye and nods once everything was done. "Good, we'll be unloading it again and you'll be one of the one's keeping an eye on the others."

Once the dart was returned to its rack, she turns to the others, "Questions?"

[Volsung]

Furaito was on hand as well, leaning gently on her bow beside Kaimenko as she watched the group get to work on the ballistas. The short haired ashigaru scratches at her head some in boredom and waits for the fun to begin.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoping to keep to her long sleeves as long as possible, it seems that the fashion had caught up with the rest of the crew whether they were willing or not. Hoshi was dressed in a short sleeve shirt and trouser earth tone set. She quietly watched the proceedings from her spot, as if it was her first day almost.

[Shiba Nozomi]

Nozomi watches it all very very carefully. Without really thinking about it, she responds to the Moshi's call for questions.
"If, f-for some r-reason it j-jams," a quick flick of her fingers and they've moved to create a ward against bad luck, "H-how do we f-fix it?"

The thing was made of wood and metal. Wood had a nasty tendency to swell at the most inopportune times and make things... not work like they should. So a ballista jamming wasn't quite unthinkable, even a well-maintained one.

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"You don't." comes the flat reply, "Inform either myself, Suzume-san or one of our crafters. IF the opportunity presents itself, we'll see to it."

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Kichirou had made the same wardrobe and armament decisions as his cousin and made his way to the days training looking for all the world like a normal sailor. At the presentation of the ballista his eyes got a little big and grin crept across his face but he kept quiet since he had no working knowledge of the weapons. Still he couldn't wait to learn.

[Hida Sayuri]

Sayuri looks at the ballista, then out to the water. "Where's the best place ta aim 'em when facin' a ship? Mostly were aimin' em at critters whenever I was helpin'." She cocks her head. "If we're ta sink it, is there a weaker spot to be thinkin' of? And if we're not?"

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"Aim for a point just above the water mark. You want your enemy to start taking in water as quickly as possible once the dart hits," comes the cold-blooded reply, "I know the sails are a tempting target, but you're as likely to over or under shoot than to hit them dead on."

[Hida Sayuri]

She nods, not thinking right now about the people who would be on such a holed ship. Easier just to think of attacking the ship itself for now.

[Hida Musasha]

The other Hida quietly asks, "D' we ever use this ta set flame ta th' other ship?" He didn't like the prospect of getting burned, but knew it was sometimes a necessary evil.

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"Yes, but only with a crew of fully trained operators," comes the dry reply. "The components used in such an endeavor are volatile at best and not something I'd give to raw beginners."

[Hida Musasha]

He nods, satisfied with the answer.

[Suzume Satsuki]

The tiny Sparrow simply stands nearby, listening to the questions and answers and nodding occasionally. When the apparently shy Shiba asks hers, she smiles toward her. Satsuki hoped that by helping out others, she can show them she can be counted on. In the mean time, she rocks very slightly back and forth on her heels, the stillness that some families and Clans cultivate apparently a foreign concept to her.

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

Nobuyoshi simply stands there quietly, taking in who is asking which questions, rather than offering any of his own.

[Moshi Kaimenko]

She waits a few moments for any other questions before starting to rattle off the parts and pointing at them, "The ballista is secured to the deck via this stock here. It has a piece that slides along a groove so you can shift it forward and back. It also has a ninety degree radius, that's a quarter circle for you not familiar with mathematics, that lets you shift the aim to the left or the right. The ballista can be locked in place at these two locations with pins."

"I will personally skin anyone who doesn't check those pins before moving the ballista," the woman growls as her gaze pins each and every one of them in turn, "I don't appreciate people breaking my machines, especially when they're used to defend the ship."

Kaimenko steps gracefully to one ballista that remains unattended, "Alright, lambkins, form up teams of two to three and pick a ballista. We're going to over the basics of loading, but don't fire the damn things.

[Hida Musasha]

Musasha looks around for someone to team up with...

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"Oh, yes... as much as a few of you will want to stick with your bestest best friends in your Clan," the woman drawls before she clasps her hand beneath her chin in a shockingly girlish gesture. Her voice lightens as she lilts, "Because it makes you feel soooo squishy-warm and safe and, teehee, cuddly inside..."

"Don't," she finishes flatly, as she drops the ditz act. Her gaze briefly flick to her two most favorite Scorpion,"You belong to the Ninth Imperial Legion now, try to remember that mmm?"

[Shiba Nozomi]

Nozomi had been watching everyone, as well as the presentation. Approaching the Dragon, her polite bow is a bit shy. "D-Dragon-san? I'm Sh-Shiba Nozomi. W-would you like to p-practice with m-me?"

He'd been watching just about as closely as she had. It spoke volumes to her.